Replica grenade sparks bomb alert in Limerick city

Gardaí in Limerick are investigating an incident in which a replica grenade was thrown through the window of an elderly woman's apartment.

The incident happened in the Cornmarket Row area of the city just after 4am today.

Bomb disposal experts were called to the scene amid fears that the grenade was viable.

However, they discovered it was a training device containing no explosives, but which looked identical to the real thing.

Gardaí are not ruling out the possibility that the incident may be linked to the seizure of a high-powered pistol at Prospect Hill in Limerick last week.